2023: Wike, Okowa battle to be Atiku’s running mate

Nyesom Wike and Ifeanyi Okowa, the Governors of Rivers and Delta states respectively, are lobbying to be Atiku Abubakar’s presidential running mate in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Punch reports that both Wike and Okowa had reached out to their fellow governors as part of efforts to clinch the post.

A source stated, “The governor (Wike) is not in town as we speak. It is not out of place if he is pushing to become the running mate of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

“But it will be unfair if he (Wike) is not picked as Atiku’s running mate going by his contributions to the party, both in terms of finance and other levels of support.

“Don’t forget that he came second in the PDP presidential primary in Abuja, so that tells you his pedigree,” he stated.

The PDP has set up a committee comprising its governors, the National Working Committee and the Board of Trustees members as well as former governors with the mandate of picking its vice-presidential candidate.

The committee met on Wednesday and Thursday in Abuja.